Mission

Florida Panther Protection Program……has been proposed by a broad coalition of leading conservation organizations and small and large farmers and ranchers in Eastern Collier County who are committed to setting the endangered Florida panther on a path to recovery. This collaborative approach suggests the protection of a significant, contiguous range of panther habitat - potentially as much as 2,500,000 acres in public and private lands. In addition, it calls for the establishment of the Paul J. Marinelli Panther Protection Fund, a source of private funds from well planned, sustainable real estate development in Eastern Collier County that could make significant funding available for conservation efforts over decades to come.

HCP News

The draft Eastern Collier Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is now under review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). For current and background information relating to the HCP, please visit FWS’s web page at www.easterncollierhcpeis.com.

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is now underway by the FWS that will analysis all potential impacts of the proposed HCP.

Several opportunities exist for anyone to submit comments to FWS regarding the scope of the EIS.

1.

On April 12 at 5:00 there is a public meeting at the IFAS building located at 14700 Immokalee Road near the Collier County Fairgrounds. Testimony is limited to two minutes.

2.

On April 19 at 10:00 FWS will hold an online scoping meeting open to all who call in. Login instructions are at www.easterncollierhcpeis.com.